July 2025 Speaker
Heather larkin
As President & CEO, Heather is responsible for leading Arkansas Community Foundation and expanding its role as a statewide community resource through strategic partnerships. She works with the Community Foundation’s board of directors to implement the Foundation’s strategic vision, ensure asset growth, and steward charitable funds for individuals, families, businesses and private foundations.
Heather has seen the Foundation through monumental asset growth to more than $780 million and grantmaking growth to more than $48 million annually. The Community Foundation is now the largest grant maker in the state by the number of grants made each year.
Heather was appointed by then Governor Asa Hutchinson to the Arkansas Women’s Commission, was named Woman of the Year in Philanthropy by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas and has been recognized by several publications as one of the top influential people in Arkansas. She was also named as a “Scholar in Residence” at the Clinton School of Public Service Center on Community Philanthropy for exemplary contributions in the field of community philanthropy.
On a personal note, Heather describes herself as “Arkansas born and lover of family, dogs, horses, and the outdoors.” She grew up in small town Arkansas in a family who enjoyed working together.
Over the course of work at the Community Foundation, Heather has been honored to work with philanthropists, foundations, corporations and nonprofits in Arkansas to strengthen local communities. She joined Arkansas Community Foundation in 1998 and became its President and CEO in January 2008.
